Stokesley Community Primary School

Stokesley Community Primary School No 5 Springfield, Stokesley, Middlesbrough, TS9 5EW

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The high ambition and determined drive of the headteacher have transformed the school since the previous inspection. He has established a ‘no excuses’ culture that has raised expectations of what pupils can achieve.  Provision for children in the early years is good. As a result, they make good progress from their starting points and are well prepared for Year 1.  Teaching is good. Staff use assessment effectively to plan work that is well matched to pupils’ needs ensuring pupils make good progress and achieve well, including those eligible for pupil premium funding.  School leaders at all levels have a thorough and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs to be improved. They frequently check the progress of every pupil and take prompt action to address any signs of underachievement.  Leaders make good use of performance management to maintain good teaching and raise achievement.

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This is a good school

 Governors know the school well and provide good- quality support and challenge to the leadership team and as such make a significant contribution to the school’s improving effectiveness.  Behaviour in lessons and at social times is good. Pupils work hard, respond well to responsibilities and are proud to be part of their school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Opportunities to write at length and for a range of purposes in subjects other than English are not consistently well developed.  The quality of marking and feedback is not as strong in history, geography, science and religious education as it is in English and mathematics.  Low attendance by some pupils reduces their time in school and opportunities to learn.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the good-quality writing that is a consistent feature in English lessons becomes a regular feature in other subjects by: providing frequent opportunities to write for extended periods and different purposes in other relevant subjects ensuring that the same rigour of checking pupils’ progress and giving good feedback is applied in all subjects as is the case in English and mathematics lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve attendance levels and eliminate persistent absence.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher’s ambition and determination are bringing tangible improvements across the school. The principles of ‘work hard, work smart, no excuses’ permeate the ethos of the school. As a result, rates of pupil progress are improving across the school.  The early years leader has planned and prioritised work to bring about substantial improvements to the provision and outcomes for younger pupils.  Middle leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They play a key role in delivering school improvement and checking carefully to make sure that actions have the intended impact. This has brought about improvements in teaching in English and mathematics.  The leadership of provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is good. Well- planned provision in classrooms and thorough additional interventions enable pupils to make good progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders make effective use of the school’s comprehensive pupil mentoring system to check on pupils’ progress. They have a clear understanding of pupils’ academic progress, learning behaviours and personal and social development. As a result, the teaching for individual pupils is well matched to their needs.  The mechanism to manage staff performance in relation to teaching is rigorous. Weaknesses are addressed through targeted support and coaching and this is having a direct impact on pupils’ progress.  The curriculum is well planned to meet the interests and needs of all pupils. A strong emphasis on good English and mathematics teaching is significantly increasing pupils’ progress in these subjects. Teachers plan topics which promote learning well in history, geography and science. However, pupils would benefit from further planned opportunities to practise and apply their writing skills in these subjects. Pupils know

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

how to keep safe and to take care of the environment.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. The school’s approach to mentoring provides pupils with good development of social and moral skills. Pupils have a good understanding of personal responsibility. For example, during the inspection older pupils could clearly explain the roles and responsibilities of being a playground buddy.  Assemblies and religious education promote pupils’ knowledge of world religions and cultures, developing their tolerance and respect for others through an appreciation of difference, acquired through knowledge and understanding. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to finance provision and support for disadvantaged pupils. These pupils’ progress is improving and attainment gaps with other pupils nationally and others in school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

are reducing. However, disadvantaged pupils need to further improve attendance levels and reduce persistent absence levels to bring these in line with national averages.  Additional funding from the government to promote sport and increase physical activity is being used successfully to develop staff expertise and increase pupils’ participation in competitive sport. These developments are well linked into the physical education curriculum and teachers regularly check the impact on pupils’ physical skills and enjoyment of sporting activities.  The governance of the school is good Governors provide the headteacher and school leaders with support and challenge. They have a good understanding of the curriculum, teaching quality and pupils’ progress formed by asking key questions in governors’ meetings and by working alongside the school’s leaders. Governors work closely with middle leaders for English and mathematics so that they can see for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

themselves how initiatives outlined in the school improvement plan are contributing to raising achievement. Governors manage the performance of the headteacher well and are aware of the procedures that are used to appraise the performance of all other staff. Governors are well informed about how pupil premium and sport funding are spent and understand how they are benefiting pupils’ progress and personal development.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Policies and practice are kept up to date; for example, staff are trained in all aspects of child protection and safeguarding including guidance on identifying radicalisation. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe including keeping safe online and how to adopt healthy lifestyles.  The support and challenge to the school from the local authority adviser is appreciated by school leaders. It has made a positive contribution to the school’s drive to secure improvements. However, the school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

has found that its own efforts to secure a contextually appropriate partner school have yielded greater benefit than well-intentioned pairings encouraged by the local authority. Local authority funding for a closing the gap pupil mentoring project, led by Stokesley Community Primary, has had a positive effect on pupils’ progress and pupils’ learning behaviours. However, there has been a lesser effect on attendance levels for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, improving attendance and reducing persistent absence remain a focus for the school’s leaders.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching is consistently good and this is why all pupils are making good progress. Standards are improving significantly in mathematics and reading and also, to a lesser extent, in writing.  Teachers plan lessons that hold and sustain pupils’ interest well. Teachers’ good subject knowledge is evident in the quality of their explanations and pupils’ responses to questions. Discussions between teachers and pupils and pupils with their peers are used well to generate opportunities for thinking and developing ideas. This process consolidates understanding.  Teachers are held to account for pupils’ progress through regular monitoring by senior leaders. Teachers are adept at picking up pupils’ misconceptions during lessons and taking swift action to address them. Teaching assistants are well deployed and make a significant contribution to the good quality of teaching and learning. They work in partnership with teachers, sharing planning and discussing pupils’ progress as

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

part of ongoing assessment. This effective use of all adults in the classroom helps pupils to make good progress.  The teaching of phonics is well structured and matched effectively to pupils’ needs. This ensures that younger pupils have the tools to support their reading development. As pupils move through the school they read with increasing confidence and understanding. Pupils comment how much they enjoy reading and talk avidly about books they have read outside of school.  Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs receive individually planned support which is followed up by quality teaching during lessons. This means that work is set that corresponds to their specific needs and this in turn helps them to make good progress relative to their starting points.  Teachers set appropriate homework to support learning. Records of individual pupils’ reading at home are well used by parents to inform teachers how their children are developing their reading skills beyond

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

school.  Helpful marking in mathematics and English is supporting pupils’ learning. Teachers’ comments recognise pupils’ efforts and also make clear what they need to do in order to improve. However, when checking the quality of pupils’ writing in other subjects such as history, geography, science and religious education, marking is not as thorough. This sometimes inhibits progress in writing as well as the rate at which pupils acquire skills, knowledge and understanding in other subjects.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupil mentoring is used very effectively. Pupils arrive at the beginning of the lesson ready to learn, are confident, independent, know what it means to be a successful learner and respond positively to teachers’ marking. This results in high levels of pupil engagement during lessons, contributing to good levels of progress.  Prominently displayed examples of pupils’ high-quality work in classrooms and around the school celebrate achievement and promote aspiration. Since the last inspection improvements to the school buildings have enhanced the quality of learning environments. No litter was observed around the school or playgrounds during the inspection, demonstrating the care pupils show for their school.  Pupils feel safe and valued as members of the school community. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. The school provides regular instruction on many aspects of safety through

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Personal development and welfare

the curriculum and assemblies. Pupils, parents and staff all agree that the school is a safe place to learn.  Pupils understand the different forms of bullying, such as cyber bullying and racist name calling. School records show that incidents of negative behaviour including bullying are rare and this is confirmed by the pupils. However, if such incidents were to occur pupils are confident that they would be dealt with swiftly in accordance with the school’s behaviour management policy.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. No low-level disruption was observed during the inspection and pupils confirmed that this was the norm.  Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. In lessons, during playtimes and lunchtimes pupils’ behaviour is good and often exemplary. Pupils are courteous, polite and show respect to one another, to adults and visitors. They display a strong sense of pride in their school; this is shown by the way they follow the school uniform policy.  The overwhelming majority of parents report that the school makes sure that pupils’ behaviour is good. A small number of parents raised concerns regarding behaviour on the playground. Inspectors considered these but found no evidence of poor behaviour at playtimes or lunchtime.  The headteacher and other neighbourhood leaders work in a multi-agency approach to tackle aspects of negative behaviour both within school and beyond. This has the beneficial effect of improving pupils’

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Behaviour

behaviour both in school and in the wider community.  Levels of attendance remain stubbornly below national averages despite the tireless work of school leaders to improve it. The school has used a wide range of innovative approaches to address this issue. Proportions of pupils with 100% attendance across the year are increasing and the proportion of persistent absence is falling. Leaders and governors remain highly focused on addressing this area as they appreciate that if all pupils were to attend regularly they would make even better progress.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The outcomes for the youngest children are good and the proportions making good levels of progress is rapidly improving. Children enter the school at standards generally typical for their age, although in speech, language and communication a significant number of children enter with underdeveloped skills. They make good progress and are largely well prepared to start Year 1.  A very large majority of pupils achieve the expected standard in phonics in Year 1. Both boys and girls achieved highly in 2015 and the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who achieved the required standard increased substantially.  Pupils make good or better levels of progress in reading and mathematics across the school. They make good levels of progress in writing, although the proportion of pupils making more than expected progress in writing is not as strong as in reading and mathematics. By the end of Year 6 pupils are well prepared

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Outcomes for pupils are good

for secondary school.  Some Gypsy Roma Traveller pupils are making just below expected levels of progress in reading and writing. Targeted interventions are in place which are accelerating progress and any gaps in progress are closing rapidly. The attainment of Gypsy Roma Traveller pupils by the end of Year 6 has shown good levels of improvement over the last three years.  Pupil premium funding is effectively targeted and the impact is carefully checked. Consequently disadvantaged pupils are improving their rates of progress in the vast majority of classes. By the end of Year 6 gaps in attainment with other pupils are closing rapidly.  The vast majority of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs who attend the school’s intervention provision in ‘The Hive’ make good improvements in their attendance levels and progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because they receive high-quality targeted teaching

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Outcomes for pupils are good

to nurture their self-esteem and improve their learning of basic skills.  Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities make good progress and by the end of Year 6 they attain higher standards in reading and mathematics than similar groups nationally. Focused support through phonics, handwriting and a reading programme is further developing writing skills. Current pupils are making at least expected levels of progress and many are making more.  Most-able pupils make good progress and increasing proportions of pupils are attaining the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Early years provision is good

 Children start in the early years with skills and abilities that are generally typical for their age, but in certain areas, such as communication and literacy skills, pupils are often below the expected standard. From their starting points, most children make good or better progress, with a rapidly increasing proportion reaching a good level of development. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who achieve a good level of development is below that of other pupils but it is improving quickly and narrowing this gap. Overall children are well prepared for Year 1.  The early years leader has a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development for staff, resources and the learning environment. Actions to address weaknesses identified in the previous inspection report have improved the early years provision. Leaders work well with parents and other professionals, for example the speech and language service, to ensure that all children’s needs are

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Early years provision is good

effectively met.  The quality of teaching is good. The early years leader provides other staff with a very good role model of early years practice. Early reading skills development, including phonics, is well matched to children’s needs and this means that they make a good start with their early reading development.  Children enjoy their learning and the practical challenges presented to them. For example when making masks they learn how to help one another, measure, test out ideas and successfully join materials.  Good-quality provision both indoors and outdoors is well used to develop children’s learning. The outdoors provides opportunities across the early years curriculum, although opportunities for writing still require some further development.  Additional government funding for improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils has been appropriately targeted. However, leaders have not yet rigorously checked that these resources are having the planned

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Early years provision is good

impact upon disadvantaged children’s literacy skills.  Expectations of children’s behaviour are consistently high and staff provide clear guidance for children. As a result, children follow adults’ instructions carefully, cooperate with other children and persevere with tasks. The younger children in the Nursery settle quickly to routines.  Children feel safe and secure in the school. Safeguarding is effective and all welfare requirements are met. For example, drinks and fruit are freely available. The overwhelming majority of parents state that their children look forward to coming to school.

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School details

Unique reference number 121325 Local authority North Yorkshire County Council Inspection number 10002072

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 296 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Michelle Randall-Harris Headteacher Scott McFarlane Telephone number 01642 711071 Website http://www.stokesley-pri.n-yorks.sch.uk/ Email address admin@stokesley-pri.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 3–4 December 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  There are two part-time Nursery classes and one full-time Reception class.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average. (Pupil premium is the funding the school receives for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, pupils with a parent in the armed forces and those looked after by the local authority).  Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from the Gypsy Roma Traveller minority ethnic group is higher than national average and has increased since the last inspection.  Mobility levels of pupils joining and leaving the school are typically higher than the national average.  The school has introduced an extra teaching group, ‘The Hive’, for pupils who require additional support to help them improve attendance levels and to accelerate progress in reading , writing and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection new leaders have been appointed for English and early years.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed an assembly and a range of lessons and part lessons from all years across the school. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and early years leader joined inspectors for some of the observations in lessons.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around school and reviewed the school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Inspectors observed pupils in the playground and during lunchtimes.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in their books and in the learning journals of children in the early years.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and middle leaders including those responsible for leading English, mathematics, special educational needs and early years. The lead inspector met with two governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body. The lead inspector also met with a representative from the local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 Two groups of pupils discussed their opinions about the school, their attitude and their learning with inspectors. The inspectors listened to several pupils read.  Inspectors took account of the 87 responses on Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View. Inspectors held discussions with parents at the start and end of the school day.  Inspectors considered the staff questionnaire responses they received.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including minutes from meetings of the governing body, pupils’ achievement information, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and development plan. Behaviour and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Michael Reeves, Lead Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Christopher Keeler Her Majesty’s Inspector Geoffrey Dorrity Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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